Asus Qube: Google TV gets a new face at CES, we go hands-on

Asus has announced the Asus Qube, a new Google TV set-top box that plugs into your television to deliver the latest Google TV experience.

Shaped, as the name suggests, like a cube, the little black box (125 x 125 x 125mm) can be controlled via the rather complicated-looking remote control or your Android tablet - in Asus's case the preferred Nexus 7.

On the connectivity side of things, the Qube will come with 2 USB sockets and a HDMI port for connecting to your TV. It's powered by an ARMADA 1500 processor, with 4GB of Flash storage for apps, and 1GB RAM so it can at least run some games without too much issue.

To coincide with the launch of the new Qube, which Asus hopes will be a lot more successful than the Nexus Q launched last year at the Google I/O conference, Google has updated its Google TV offering to version 3. That brings with it a number of new features, including the ability to stream content from YouTube from your tablet or phone to the box.

On top of that Asus has adapted and changed the interface a little bit to make it more accessible to the likes of consumers rather than hardcore geeks.

A quick play at CES and the Qube works as you would expect, with a zippy interface and fast loading times. We tried the new voice search feature that allows you to press a button on the remote. We randomly searched for "Princess Bride" (don't ask why, we don't know) and five seconds later it found it was available to rent on Amazon and presented us with the info page and rent now button. Easy, quick, and handy.

The Qube is slated for a Q1 2013 release in the US. No word on whether it will be coming to the UK. Let's hope it makes the journey to the UK.

Stuart has been a tech journalist since 1998 and written for a number of publications around the world. Regularly turning up on television, radio and in newspapers, Stuart has played with virtually every gadget available.